Gerardo Fernández Noroña is for many the face of the most radical, intransigent sectors of the Mexican left, improbably elected federal deputy in 2009 for the North Korea-praising Workers Party (PT), but before that a long-time radical as head of a social movement-based group within the PRD.
His antics both in the PRD, which he left in 2008, and as a deputy are many (he once threw himself around he feet of president Ernesto Zedillo and refused to let go), but he is perhaps most known as an ardent defender of Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) and a proponent of the "fraud" claim of 2006.
Now the cliché is served on a silver platter: más papista que el Papa, more catholic than the pope:
In response to AMLO's recent declaration that he has "forgiven" Felipe Calderón, for 2006, Noroña (as he is most commonly known), now threatening to break with AMLO unless he explains what he means by that - is it a recognition of Calderón's legitimacy as president? - and demanding that he show congruence and firmness. Yes, AMLO is not radical enough for his political children.
AMLO being accused of going soft on Calderón, by one of his own - it is hard to know what historical analogy to pick given the range of options.
Let's for now stick with the French one: Noroña, the Jacobin. I am not even the slightest surprised.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012
The charlatans of scientology, now at it in Mexico
Those who have gone to Mexico City and its Alameda square can't help but have noticed the eager members of the church of scientology recruiting new adherents to their dangerous cult, and the enormous "Scientology Mexico" building at the corner of the square.
A highly recommended read on this extremely dangerous and destructive organization is a recent Proceso article, "Dianética: la “religión” que aniquila," now available free of charge, which expounds on its practices in Mexico, where it is accused of slave labor and human trafficking. Please read it.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
AMLO: I've forgiven Felipe Calderón
In an interview with the Spanish El Pais, AMLO said he had forgiven Calderón for the 2006 election, and that he would not seek to reopen any investigation into that election, because there is already a "verdict." Which one is that, one might ask?
He also notes, "I've evolved, I have more knowledge of the reality because I have traveled the country," though he doesn't really tell us what new lessons he has learned, or any self criticism made. I would really like to have seen some.
In any case, the interview is well worth a read.
He also notes, "I've evolved, I have more knowledge of the reality because I have traveled the country," though he doesn't really tell us what new lessons he has learned, or any self criticism made. I would really like to have seen some.
In any case, the interview is well worth a read.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Worst.Excuse.Ever. for pirate taxis
From a PRI local deputy in the Mexico City legislature: When a car that belongs to him was impounded due to being used as a pirate taxi (!), Leobardo Urbina angrily denounced that it was not a pirate taxi at all. When authorities pointed out that the car had been stopped complete with taximeter, Urbina instead took the high moral ground:
He (driver) works with me in the Assembly, and brought with him a taximeter so that we not forget where we came from, that's a moral thing I told my friends, let's go to the city assembly, but let's not forget who we are."Yes, it had a taximeter just so the good legislator should not forget his roots. And presumably also why the taxi was confiscated as he was letting off a passenger from a 45-peso ride.
10 arguments for legislative reelection
In the Mexican state of Puebla, 10 local legislators, or 25 percent of the entire state legislature, is leaving their current office to seek a seat in the national congress as federal legislators.
There is nothing illegal or even unnatural of politicians seeking to "move up the ladder" politically - indeed, it lies at the very heart of representative politics.
Yes this case shows the very perversions of what is very likely a product of Mexico's no-reelection practice:
The legislators took office just one year ago! They have barely found the time to learn the workings of the legislature, get informed of local matters, deepen ties to constituents, and so forth, and then barely a third into their term, they bail ship. It may partly be a reflection of excessive personal ambition, but certainly the practice is awarded incentives by 1) only having three-year terms, and 2) not having reelection.
An illustrative and rather funny story on the matter from a couple of weeks back:
PRI's Ivonne Álvarez García, mayor of Guadalupe, was elected mayor two years ago in Guadalupe, Nuevo León, had promised and sworn and pledged she would sit out her full term. Yet as Mexico's parties are now choosing candidates for national office, she forgot about her election promise, changed her mind, asked for a leave of absence, and left town
Yet now so fast! One of her constituents complained that she had broken a promise, and managed to secure a writ of amparo, forcing the senator hopeful to return to the pueblo. Kudos to Dinorah Cantú Pedraza for keeping her to her promise!
The saga continued for a few nervous days, as this might have enormous consequences for candidates elsewhere, who might be refused similar pedidos de licencia or requests for "leaves of absence." Álvarez huffed and puffed and was "very angry" at this pesky citizen, and found an amparo for herself and her candidacy, and finally a federal judge rejected the earlier decision, clearing the way for her candidacy.
Oh, and merely days after, she was again in trouble as she promoted her candidacy on Youtube via a raffle, breaking at least 3-4 electoral laws, where she from her municpal office called on voters to "like" her Facebook account, in return for the chance to win - an Ipad!
Perhaps the citizens of Guadalupe, NL, are better off with their mayor far off in Mexico City.
There is nothing illegal or even unnatural of politicians seeking to "move up the ladder" politically - indeed, it lies at the very heart of representative politics.
Yes this case shows the very perversions of what is very likely a product of Mexico's no-reelection practice:
The legislators took office just one year ago! They have barely found the time to learn the workings of the legislature, get informed of local matters, deepen ties to constituents, and so forth, and then barely a third into their term, they bail ship. It may partly be a reflection of excessive personal ambition, but certainly the practice is awarded incentives by 1) only having three-year terms, and 2) not having reelection.
An illustrative and rather funny story on the matter from a couple of weeks back:
PRI's Ivonne Álvarez García, mayor of Guadalupe, was elected mayor two years ago in Guadalupe, Nuevo León, had promised and sworn and pledged she would sit out her full term. Yet as Mexico's parties are now choosing candidates for national office, she forgot about her election promise, changed her mind, asked for a leave of absence, and left town
Yet now so fast! One of her constituents complained that she had broken a promise, and managed to secure a writ of amparo, forcing the senator hopeful to return to the pueblo. Kudos to Dinorah Cantú Pedraza for keeping her to her promise!
The saga continued for a few nervous days, as this might have enormous consequences for candidates elsewhere, who might be refused similar pedidos de licencia or requests for "leaves of absence." Álvarez huffed and puffed and was "very angry" at this pesky citizen, and found an amparo for herself and her candidacy, and finally a federal judge rejected the earlier decision, clearing the way for her candidacy.
Oh, and merely days after, she was again in trouble as she promoted her candidacy on Youtube via a raffle, breaking at least 3-4 electoral laws, where she from her municpal office called on voters to "like" her Facebook account, in return for the chance to win - an Ipad!
Perhaps the citizens of Guadalupe, NL, are better off with their mayor far off in Mexico City.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Pope visit to Mexico: Must-read AP article on an inconvenient book
A highly recommend read is AP's "Pope's Mexico trip clouded by Legion victim's book," by Eduardo Castillo, as it address a very inconvenient book just published ahead of the pope's visit to Mexico tomorrow: La voluntad de no saber" ("The will to not know"). It uses documents obtained through friendly Vatican sources who began years ago making copies of documents that were slowly disappearing, as members of the extremist order Legionaries of Christ had begun silently stealing them from the Vatican archives.
What do the documents, on which the book is based, prove? What we long knew, but now documented by the Vatican's own sources:
Successive popes knew, including Benny the 16th, about the child raping by priests such as Marcial Maciel ever since the 1940s, but did nothing to stop it.
For eight years, Benedict 16 knew, but didn't lift a finger as the Legionaries unleashed a campaign of defamation against the victims.
A very inconvenient book.
What do the documents, on which the book is based, prove? What we long knew, but now documented by the Vatican's own sources:
Successive popes knew, including Benny the 16th, about the child raping by priests such as Marcial Maciel ever since the 1940s, but did nothing to stop it.
For eight years, Benedict 16 knew, but didn't lift a finger as the Legionaries unleashed a campaign of defamation against the victims.
A very inconvenient book.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Pope in Mexico: Will not meet with victims or apologize
Christophe Pierre, the Vatican's nuncio or diplomatic representative in Mexico, made it clear that Pope Benny XVI will not meet with any of the victims, ranging at least in the tens of thousands, from priest abuse when he visits Mexico this weekend.
Why on earth not? This is not simply a case of apologizing on behalf of the far too many priests who turned into child rapists and molesters, which has happened so many places, but which in Mexico is given the added touch that the Vatican knew for more than forty years about the abuses of one affiliated organization, the Legionaries of Christ, where desperate stories of child abuse by particularly its founder Marcial Maciel surfaced shortly after its founding - abuses that the Vatican, we now know, was aware of for decades, but didn't do anything with until the public pressure became to large in the 2000s.
Yet don't expect any apology when the pope visits Mexico. After all, he did force Marcial to retire, lest we forget, to life of "repentance and self reflection."
Perhaps an apology isn't in order - I would trade a papal apology for an arrest warrant of multiple members of the Vatican leadership any day.
Why on earth not? This is not simply a case of apologizing on behalf of the far too many priests who turned into child rapists and molesters, which has happened so many places, but which in Mexico is given the added touch that the Vatican knew for more than forty years about the abuses of one affiliated organization, the Legionaries of Christ, where desperate stories of child abuse by particularly its founder Marcial Maciel surfaced shortly after its founding - abuses that the Vatican, we now know, was aware of for decades, but didn't do anything with until the public pressure became to large in the 2000s.
Yet don't expect any apology when the pope visits Mexico. After all, he did force Marcial to retire, lest we forget, to life of "repentance and self reflection."
Perhaps an apology isn't in order - I would trade a papal apology for an arrest warrant of multiple members of the Vatican leadership any day.
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